Big Ten Football Media Days are rolling in Chicago, and Michigan State’s turn comes Wednesday with plenty of storylines packed into the trip.
The Spartans are bringing a familiar face to the spotlight in Pat Fitzgerald, who is entering his first season as Michigan State’s head coach. Chicago is home for Fitzgerald, who grew up in the area, played at Northwestern and then spent 17 seasons leading the Wildcats. During that run, he went 110-101 overall and 65-76 in Big Ten play.
Fitzgerald takes over for Jonathan Smith, who went 9-15 overall in two seasons at MSU and finished 4-14 against Big Ten opponents. The Spartans have now gone four straight seasons without a bowl game, and the pressure around the program keeps building.
That backdrop should make for some pointed questions in Chicago, especially because the event is so close to Fitzgerald’s old school. His firing from Northwestern after a hazing scandal is likely to come up.
Fitzgerald later sued the school for wrongful termination, and the two sides eventually settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. Northwestern’s own statement said that "the evidence uncovered during extensive discovery did not establish that any player reported hazing to Coach Fitzgerald or that Coach Fitzgerald condoned or directed any hazing."
Michigan State’s player contingent also gives a pretty clear picture of what the staff values heading into the season. Starting quarterback Alessio Milivojevic will be there, and he’s one of 12 quarterbacks being brought to the three-day event.
Another Chicago-area native, Milivojevic was a key retention through the coaching change. He opened the 2025 season as the backup, then started piling up scoring drives in mop-up work before earning the job with four games left.
Once he got the chance, he delivered, throwing for 986 yards with seven touchdown passes and only two interceptions over those starts.
The Spartans are also bringing linebacker Jordan Hall, who may have been their best all-around player last season. Hall posted 88 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one interception and three forced fumbles.
Fitzgerald will be the third head coach Hall has played for in four years in East Lansing. Hall had originally been set for his final college season, but the NCAA’s new "5-in-5" system gives him the option to return in 2027.
Free safety Nikai Martinez is the third MSU player headed to Chicago, and he’s another important holdover for Fitzgerald. Martinez was supposed to be out of eligibility last year, but injuries limited him to four games, which opened the door for a redshirt and another season with the Spartans.
Before that, he was one of Michigan State’s most dependable defenders in 2024, logging a team-high 724 defensive snaps. He finished that season with 51 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions after starting his career at UCF.
Keeping him mattered, especially with MSU’s secondary struggling without him last season.
There’s also a quirky angle to the fall schedule: Michigan State will face three of its former quarterbacks. Noah Kim is the starter at Eastern Michigan, Katin Houser is now at Illinois and Aidan Chiles is at Northwestern.
LSU isn’t on the schedule, but Sam Leavitt will remain a “what if?” for Spartans fans for a while.
Beyond Michigan State, the national conversation in Chicago could drift toward College Football Playoff expansion and conference realignment. Big Ten commissioner Tony Pettiti speaks Tuesday morning, and he’s expected to be asked about a possible 16-team or 24-team playoff. The Big Ten has leaned toward a 24-team format with more automatic bids, while the SEC has pushed a 16-team model with fewer automatic bids and more "wild cards."
In Other News...
Michigan States OL Fix May Hinge On One Transfer Addition
Michigan States offensive line is getting a major reset this year, with four new starters set to reshape a unit that badly needed help after last seasons struggles in pass protection. The most interesting piece of that overhaul may be UConn transfer Ben Murawski, who arrives after starting every regular-season game for the Huskies and brings a reputation as a sturdy run blocker at a position where the Spartans need reliability.
Murawskis fit matters because Michigan State wants to lean harder into the ground game in 2026, pairing a deep running back group with a front that can create more consistent movement. If the line takes a real step forward, it could change the way the Spartans build their offense, and Murawski looks like one of the newcomers most likely to influence whether that plan actually works. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Is Already Eyeing A Massive Backcourt Decision
Michigan State is already working ahead on its backcourt future, and Antonio Pemberton has emerged as a name to watch. The top 2027 point guard recruit has trimmed his list to eight schools, with the Spartans still in the mix, as the program continues to evaluate guards in that class with an eye on what the roster could look like down the line.
The timing matters because Michigan State is planning for a possible shift at point guard after the 2026-27 season, when Jeremy Fears Jr. could be moving on. Add in the NCAAs new age-based eligibility model, which gives current scholarship players the option to extend their college careers, and the Spartans are navigating a future that is a little less predictable than usual. [Read more 🡒]
Two New MSU Transfers Carry Huge Fall Camp Pressure
Michigan States offseason transfer haul was massive, with 32 newcomers arriving and 14 of them projected to start, but the real pressure now shifts to the handful of players who have to turn that paper depth chart into something usable in August. Cam Edwards comes in from UConn as a running back with real production on his rsum, while Ben Murawski is being asked to stabilize the offensive line and help protect the blind side in a conference where every missed assignment gets exposed fast.
Kenny Soares Jr. is another name worth watching because his role is changing as much as his surroundings, and that kind of adjustment can define whether a transfer becomes a difference-maker or just another body in camp. There are still other position battles and moving parts around the roster, but these are the kinds of newcomers who can set the tone for the whole class if they handle the jump the way Michigan State needs them to. [Read more 🡒]